The Chiefs have bolstered their backline stocks ahead of next year\u2019s Super Rugby Pacific campaign by signing highly rated Australia centre Lalakai Foketi.<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old, who was born in Hamilton, is making the move to the Chiefs in a bid to revive his international career.<\/p>\n
Last played for Australia at 2023 Rugby World Cup<\/p>\n
The former Waratahs star ended 2023 as the Wallabies<\/a>\u2019 incumbent at inside centre after starting their last Rugby World Cup pool match against Portugal, after making appearances off the replacements bench at the global showpiece against Georgia and Fiji.<\/p>\n Since then, he has not played for Australia as a freak training accident days before the start of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season left him with a neck injury, which resulted in him only making his first appearance for the Waratahs in a Round Six clash against the Melbourne Rebels that year.<\/p>\n From there, the Waratahs struggled and finished at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific table, and since Joe Schmidt took over the Wallabies\u2019 coaching reins, Foketi<\/a> has not played at Test level again.<\/p>\n However, by moving to the Chiefs<\/a>, Foketi\u2019s journey comes full circle as he returns to the Hamilton-based outfit who he represented through their pathways programme during the tenure of Dave Rennie as the club\u2019s head coach.<\/p>\n Foketi\u2019s first Super Rugby appearances were with the Melbourne Rebels in 2014 before he returned to New Zealand\u2019s provincial rugby scene with Bay of Plenty, who he represented from 2015 to 2017.<\/p>\n